Bella grumbled as she casually grabbed a few workbooks.
When she got a clear look at the catchphrases on the covers, she froze. The mental state of the teachers at S City No. 1 High School seemed a bit...
The cover of the history workbook boldly featured a line of large text: "Rebirth: The Domineering History Falls in Love with Me - 30 Essay Questions to Spoil Me Rotten."
Below it was a brief synopsis:
"In my past life, I was a top history student, but I lost everything because I missed a key exam topic, and was mocked by my nemesis for an entire semester.
Reborn, I swear to take back everything that belongs to me! Step one: Ace this exam paper and begin my path of revenge!"
The politics workbook took the "Female CEO Falls for You" route, featuring a fierce-looking female executive on the cover.
The accompanying text read: "Be a good kid, memorize these points on economic globalization, and my life is yours."
Bella: Ah, the classic 'give you my life' literature.
The funniest one was the math workbook. The cover had only simple geometric shapes paired with a heart-piercing monologue:
"Math isn't domineering towards you. It is a flower on a high peak; if you can't pick it, you just can't pick it. If you don't leave, it won't abandon you; but if you ignore it, it will make you cry without even a clue on how to solve it."
Finally, there was a "selfie" of Du Fu. The old man was holding a selfie stick with a line of small text next to it:
"Language Arts Vlog: Remember this poetic summer vacation, and don't forget to recite the full text, dear!"
Hahaha, this was actually pretty interesting. These stress-relieving covers really helped relax Bella's originally tense nerves.
She twisted off her pen cap and raised an eyebrow at the "Domineering History":
"Alright, since you want to spoil me, let's see just how 'wild' your 30 essay questions really are."
After doing about ten questions, she realized the test maker's mind was deeper than a palace intrigue drama. Every question stem buried a series of interlocking traps.
If you didn't thoroughly understand the concepts, every multiple-choice option looked like your destined "Mr. Right."
This completely ignited the competitive spirit deep in Bella's bones.
Once she started, she went hard, losing herself in it, working as if her life depended on it!
For dinner, she casually ordered some takeout to make do. Although her bank balance was low, she really didn't want to mistreat her taste buds. After eating and washing up, she returned to her desk.
The clock ticked away. It wasn't until past three in the morning, as she finished the last math essay question, that Bella suddenly threw down her pen and heavily threw herself onto the bed.
At 5:30 in the morning, Bella neatly tied her hair into a high ponytail. She looked at her bangs, decided to comb them up, secured them with a bobby pin, got everything ready, put on her backpack, locked the door, and went downstairs.
She quickly bought some steamed buns and soy milk, then headed to the bus stop. Since the urban village was a bit far from the school, her only transportation was the Route 110 bus that came every half hour.
The bus rattled over. There weren't many people on board, just a few vegetable farmers getting up early for the market and a few yawning commuters.
Bella found a window seat, took out her phone, and began silently reciting poems.
The scenery shifted from low-slung bungalows to rows of two- and three-story houses, and then to the faint outlines of high-rises in the distance.
As the bus passed a stop, a group of students wearing blue and white school uniforms got on.
"Hey, did you hear? For this beginning-of-term exam, the school specifically invited experts from out of province to write the questions. The difficulty level is maxed out."
"What are you afraid of? We have God Ye holding up the sky anyway. I heard he went to a physics Olympiad training camp over the summer. When he comes back, he'll probably leave the second place in the dust by dozens of points again."
"Tsk, the world of gods is beyond the comprehension of us mere mortals."
Listening to the chatter around her, Bella slowly sat up straight.
"Hey, but speaking of which, did you guys finish your homework? I was catching up on physics until two in the morning last night. Now everyone I look at seems to be moving in uniform linear acceleration."
"Don't even mention it. Are the last two major questions on that math paper even meant for carbon-based lifeforms to solve? I just wrote the word 'Solution' on it, hoping to get some pity points for effort."
"I really hope Auntie Li from the cafeteria doesn't get transferred. I spent the whole summer missing her braised pork. Her hands shake when she serves, but the taste is absolutely incredible..."
Listening to these trivial yet relatable complaints, Bella couldn't help but chuckle softly.
It seemed that whether in the real world or inside this steamy novel, the core of a high schooler's life was exactly the same:
Fearing math, hating homework, and forever harboring unrealistic fantasies about the school cafeteria.
The topic of conversation quickly veered from "homework" to another extreme.
"Sigh, tell me, God Ye seems to have been admitted early to university. He probably won't come back to school for senior year, right?"
"I don't know, probably. If I got early admission, I definitely wouldn't come back to school."
"Give me a break, you getting early admission?"
"Tch! Can't you let a person dream a little?"
"Staring at that face, I could memorize fifty more vocabulary words!"
...
The bus soon drove into the downtown area.
Bella rested her chin on her hand, looking out, but her gaze suddenly locked onto a teenage boy by the side of the road.
The boy was riding a black mountain bike, weaving through the traffic.
He was wearing an ordinary white button-down shirt that billowed slightly in the wind. The collar was unbuttoned, revealing prominent collarbones.
The sunlight brushed past his aloof, timelessly handsome side profile. His skin was extremely fair, making him stand out exceptionally among the crowd.
Bella's heart inexplicably skipped a beat.
"Look, look! That guy looks like God Ye!"
"It's him! It really is him!"
"Ahhh, he's so handsome!"
Outside the window, the boy on the bicycle seemed to sense the overly blunt stares.
As the traffic light at the intersection turned red, he propped himself up with one foot on the ground and leaned back slightly. Without warning, those aloof eyes turned sideways, looking straight at the bus windows.
Bella didn't scream or flinch away in a panic like the girls next to her. She continued to rest her chin on her hand, her gaze as calm as if she were looking at a streetlamp by the road, even carrying a hint of scrutiny and amusement.
Through the thick layer of glass, Ye Jinzhi frowned slightly.
"Oh my god, he's looking over! Is he looking at me? He's looking at me!"
"In your dreams, he's obviously looking at me! Oh my, everyone, please show some restraint, don't scare him away... Boohoo, his side profile is just too perfect, my heart is melting!"
For a moment, the entire bus cabin was like a pot of exploding sparrows. Even a few middle-aged women sitting in the front rows couldn't help but turn their heads to look, muttering as they watched:
"This boy looks like he walked right out of a painting."
"Ah, why did he ride away? Why did the green light turn on so fast? It's never this fast usually."
A girl squeezed against Bella, excitedly slapping the bus window. Bella helplessly rubbed her temples.
The boy's figure merged back into the traffic, his white shirt billowing in the wind in a crisp arc.
Bella retracted her gaze, a faint, almost imperceptible smile playing on her lips. She pushed up her heavy, black-framed glasses, concealing the fleeting gleam in her eyes.
The bus came to a smooth stop right at the entrance of S City First High School.
The school's main gate was as magnificent as an art museum, its gilded name gleaming so brightly in the sunlight that it almost hurt to look at.
She did not rush to find her classroom. Instead, she took a detour to the school's bulletin board.
Even though it was a new semester, the school-wide rankings from last term's final exams were still on display.
She located the sophomore section and looked straight at the first-place position.
The name Ye Jinzhi was printed in letters so large they were almost blinding, and his total score was a staggering forty points higher than the runner-up.
One could only imagine the psychological trauma the second-place student must have suffered.
